Combined cotton chopper, scraper, and cultivator.



G. C. LAGKIB. COMBINED aoTToN GHOPPBB, soRAPER, AND cULTIvAToR. LPPLIOATION FILED AUGJZS, 1909. B .ENBWED DEU. 2, 1910.

980,808. Patented Ja.11.3, 1911.

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G. c. LAGKIB. v COMBINED COTTON OHOPPBB SORAPEB, AND CULTIVATOR.. APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 23, 1909. BENEWBD DEO. 2, 1910.

PatentedlJan. 3, 1911.

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v G.v c. LAGKIR l COMBINED GOTTON GHOPPIB, vSCRAPER., .AND CULTIVATOB.

A'PPLIOATION FILED AUG. 2a, 1909. mmnwrm DB0. 2,-1910.

Patented Jan. 3,1911.

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` N VE N TOI? kong/'e Zach?,

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maar sra'r GEORGE CLAUD LACKIE, OF O. K., MISSISSIPPI.

COMBINED COTTON SHOPPER, SCRAPER, AND CULTIVATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented aan. s, ieri.

Application filed August 23, 1909, Serial No. 514,103. Renewed December 2, 1910. Serial No. 595,327.

T o all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnoncn C. Lacuna, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of O. K., in the county of Tunica and State of Mississippi, have invented a new and Improved Combined Cotton Chopper, Scraper, and Cultivator, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Among the principal objects which the present invention has in view are to provide a machine wherein the cotton may be chopped and the ground cultivated and leveled in the same operation; and to provide means whereby the operations above described may be carried on independently; and to provide a structure for a machine of the character described which is simple, economical and durable.

One embodiment olf the present invention is disclosed in the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and wherein Figure 1 is a vertical cross section of the machine illustrated in the present drawings, the section being taken on the line 1 1 in Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine; and Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the machine taken on the line 3 3 in Fig. 1.

The distinctive features are the standing frame 4 which is formed in two sections bolted together at 5 5, the ears 6 6 and the brackets 7 7 being provided to receive the said bolts 5; and the two half heartshaped harrow frames 8 8. The instrumentalities directly connected and mounted upon the frames 4 4 are those more directly connected with the chopping mechanism, while those instrumentalities which are mounted upon and held in position by the frames 8 8 are those which are used for plowing and scraping the ground. The carrying wheels 9 9 are mounted upon the axle sections 10-10 which are rotatively mounted in bearings formed at the enlargements 11 11 in the members of the standing frame 4. lThe tongue 12 to which the draft team is secured is mounted upon the frame 4 by means of the hounds 13 13. Extended from the rear of the tongue 12 are the plates 15 between which, at the rearward extension is held the spring 16 upon which the seat 17 is mounted. To steady the structure, there are extended between the hounds 13 and the plates 15, braces 14.

Depending from the plates 15-15 and guided thereby are racks 18-18 each being held in gear-toothed engagement with a quadrant 19` which is pivoted at 20 between the said plates 15. 'The racks 1 8 are held from moving o-ut of engagement with the quadrants 19 by the back plates 21-21. At the lower end of the racks 18 18 there is provided on each rack a hook 22 through which is extended a connecting ring 23. The ring 23 is extended through an eye 24 which is formed by extending upward a section of the bars 25-26.

It is by means of the racks 18-18 that the frames 8 8 are raised and lowered. The bars 25 and 26 are xedly connected to the said frames 8 8, and the ring 23 mounted on the eyelet 24 is secured loosely thereon by the chain link 27 being slipped over the top of the eye 24 prior to fastening the ring 23 therein. When it is desired not to use the scraper and harrow instrumentalities, the frames 8 8 with the Scrapers and harrow's may be removed from the racks 18 18, by raising the rings 23 23 out of engagement with the hooks 22 22.

Then the harrows are being used, they are raised and lowered by means of the levers 28-28, which are provided with springactuated detents 29, that strike into the teeth of the quadrants 30 and are held thereby. The detents 29 are raised by means of the hand levers 31 when it is desired to remove the levers 28.

The plow' or harrow blades 32 32 are fixedly mounted upon securing posts 33, which are held in position by means of set collars 34-35, the set collars being held in position by suitable set screws; they are raised and lowered to govern the depth to which the plows shall operate below the Scrapers 36. The scrapers 36-36 are mounted in inclined positions angularly opposed on each side of the median line of the implement. The object of these scrapers is to level the hillocls in the old or stubble ground. The blades 32 32 are eight in number, four being assigned to each side of the median line of the machine and are mounted in staggered position to operate in different paths.

The choppers are hoe or adz-shaped blades 37-37, :trom the ends of which are extended handles 38 38. The handles 38 are adjustably mounted within collars 39 and secured therein by set screws 40-40.

Set out from the sides of the collars 39 are extensions ltl--l, on the ends of Which are provided bolts l2-#l2 adapted to be held Within cup-shaped clamps t3 consisting in a pivoted side adapted to swing upon a head le and to be held in position by a bolt 45. The object of the mounting for the blades 37 is to permit the same to be placed in position to operate at an angle such as is shown in F l of drawings, Where on the left-hand side of the ligure as vieWed, the blade 87 is inclined to the ground.

In different classes of operations to be performed by machines of this character it is desired that the choppers shall be presented to the ridges at various angles. The heads ilil are held rigidly upon the vertical shafts 4G by means of set screws 4:7 extended through the heads 414 and impinging upon the said shafts 4to. The shafts t6 are rotatively mounted in the horizontal members of the frame 4, passing through perforations provided in the enlargements 4th-4S and t9- 42). They are supported in position by the hubs of the gear Wheels 50 Which are iixedly mounted upon the shafts t3-ftd. The shafts t3- it are guided by means of the perforated heads 51-51 formed in the laterally extended arms 52, and resting upon the heads 5l are the miter gears The miter gears are tixedl)v mounted upon sleeves 54 splined on the shafts 4G, and having tixedly attached thereto the clutch rings The rings are provided With slots to receive pins set. in the yoke arms 3f-436 of levers 3T-57 provided on opposite sides of the frame 4t. lt is by means of the levers 5T-51 that the clutch rings are raised, lifting With them the miter gears The operation of these levers 5T on the opposite sides of the inachine is independent, each being operated Without reference to the other. lf it. is desired that either shall remain in the inoperative position, the long arm of the lever 5T is s y"ung under the bracket :3S-5S set up from the cross beam of the frame -'-l, as shoWn particularly in Fig'. l of drawings. lJVhen the blades 37, 3i' are both Working it is desirable that they shall Work in unison. lt is to secure the unison of movement that I provide the Wheels 50. 5() Which are in-eshed When the shafts i-tl, 453 are lowered in operative position. ln this position the slippage of one of the Wheels of the vehicle does not disturb the order of operation of the blades. Then either shaft Ltti is raised to lift the blade 3T aWay from the ground. the wheel 50 carried b v this shaft is lifted from engagement With the companion gear. ln this position the shaft 46 operating may be independentlyv controlled b v the clutch mechanism provided.

lt is by means of the engagement or disengagement of the initier gears 523-53 With and from the miter gears 59H59 that the chopper blade r T connected With either one or the other of the shafts Llt is rotated. This rotation of the shaft #l0 through the inter-position of the gears and 59 is as follows: The axle sections Il() are in the construction shoWn in the present draWings, provided on the inner end With large gear Wheels (30"60, the same being tixedlv mounted upon the axle sections 10. YThe axle sections are held in the frame et by means of the Wheels tSO-GO and the set collars til-(3l. The Wheels tt) GO are secured on the inside of the frame, While the set collars (3l-Gl are mounted on the outside of the frame. The large gear Wheelsl (lO- (30 are mounted in toothed engagement With the smaller gear Wheels trl- (32, thereby increasing the rotative effect of the shafts (i3- (33 upon Which the said Wheels (S2- (32 are lixedl \v mounted. The shafts t?, tt, are suitably mounted in bearings formed in the frame l, and have likeWise lixedly mounted thereon the largemitcr gears iQ-59. By means of this mounting the chain of gears is completed as folloWs: The gear (BO rotates the gear (ft2, Which rotates the gear 5t), Which When engaged thereWith rotates the gear 5?). rllhe gear 5?) being mounted upon a sleeve 5l Which is secured upon the, shaft liti bv means of a feather or spline, the shaft etti is rotated Whenever the gear 5?; is rotated. The acceleration of the rato of rotation is proportioned to the gradualllvf decreasing diameters of the meshed gear Wheels, changging from the sloW rotation. ot the axle l() to a fast rotary motion desired on the part of the shafts ttulft. ln some instances l n'efer to substitute for the gear Wheels (30 and (Si, sprocket Wheels (il and (35 With the connecting sprocket chain (St. rll`hese are shoWn in Fig. l in dotted lines and l Wish to be understood as offering the same merely as a modified form of the driving mechanism.

lt. is desired in machines of the character described, that the carrying Wheels shall be simple, and light and strong, and of a construction Which if possible avoids the necessity for carrying the same to a blacksmithls shop Whenever repair is needed. l have contructed the Wheels as shoWn in drawings With al ring hub 6i' and a band felly (SS, the hubs connecting the saine being formed of rodsl (39. the ends T0 of Which are extended through the felly so as to form gripping studs to engage the ground to prevent the Wheel from sliding rather than rotating, and thereby operating the choppers 557. This form of Wheel as constructed is light and durable, and repairs can be made thereto Without having to remove the Wheel to a specially equipped shop. A further desirable feature for a machine of this character is that the same shall be adjustable upon the axle or axle sections on Which they are mounted. In the present construction I extend the axle sections l0 l0 as shown in Fig. l of the drawings, and provide set screws T 1 71 by means of which the wheels are held rigidly upon the axles l0.

The shafts 4 l6 may be raised or lowered so as to change the operative position vertically of the blades 37 7. This is accomplished by means of the elongated screws T2-T2. To receive the heads T3 of the set .screws the shafts 4(3 46 are provided with socket ends Tee-74; which are iixedly secured to the said shafts i6 by means of the set screws T5. This mounting permits the heads T8 to rotate within the sockets 74. The screws 7i are rotatively extended through perforations provided in the enlarged bosses 7G 76. On the upper sides of the .said bosses 7(3 76 are formed seats for the crank nuts 7T 'TT which are tapped to conform to the set screws 79. and are provided with crank extensions 78 T 8, whereby the `said nuts may be rotated. vWith the rotation of the nuts 78 78 the screws 72 72, and with them the connected shafts Liti- IG, are raised and lowered with reference to the ground, carrying the blades 37-37 closer or removing them farther from the surface of the ground.

Having the machine constructed as above described, the operation of the same is as follows: The harrow frames 8 8 with the various instrumentalities connected therewith being in position and th-e team secured to the double trees 79, the wheels 9 9 are adjusted laterally with reference to the ridges and furrows between. lIhis having been accomplished so that the wheels track in the furrows, the nuts 77 7T are rotated until the blades 37-37 are disposed at the proper height with reference to the ridges in which the cotton is planted. rIhe levers 28 28 are then manipulated until the frames 8 8 are at the proper height for the operation of the harrow blades 3Q-3Q and t-he scrapers 36. In this position, the team is started operating to perform the triple operation of scraping, chopping and harrowing the ground. At any time in the course of operation, if it becomes desirous that the choppers on the one or the other side of the machine be discontinued, the driver sitting in the seat 17 may, by reaching forward and depressing the long end of either of the levers 57, 57, raise the gears 53, 58 out of operative engagement with the niiter gears, 59, 59 suspending the rotation of either of the shafts 46, the gears 50 having first been thrown out of mesh as hereinafter described. Should the driver observe that the choppers are not working at the proper height, or desire to change the height of either one, this may be accomplished by operating the nuts 7 7 it not being necessary that the driver should leave the seat 17 in order to do this. By continuing the rotation of the nuts T7 the choppers may be lifted out of the ground. Again, should it be desired that the frames 8 be adjusted vertically with reference to the ground or lifted` entirely therefrom, this may be accomplished by throwing the levers 28-28 sopas to raise the racks 18 l8, lifting the frames 8 8 or lowering the same as the case may be.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent l. A cotton chopper, comprising a vertically disposed frame, a carrying axle foi` said frame, a plurality of vertically disposed shafts having bearings in said frame, chopper blades adjustably mounted on said shafts to extend horizontally therefrom, traction wheels adapted to rotate the said carrying axle, transmission mechanism to rotate said shafts in harmony with said axle, and a plurality of clutch mechanisms arranged one on each of said shafts adapted to be independently operated to connect and disconnect either of said shafts and transmission mechanism.

2. A cotton chopper comprising a vertically-disposed frame; a carrying axle for said frame embodying separated short sections j ournaled in said frame; a plurality of vertically disposed shafts having bearings in said frame; chopper blades adjustably mounted on said shafts to extend horizontally therefrom; traction wheels mounted upon said axle to rotate the same; a plurality of short shafts mounted in said frame parallel with and removed from said axle sections; transmission gearing embodying gear wheels proportioned to vary the relative speed of said short shafts and axle sections; transmission gearing between said short shafts and said vertically disposed shafts embodying meshed beveled gears;I and a plurality of clutch mechanisms arranged one on each of said shafts to operate and connect the said beveled gears.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEGRGE CLUD LACKIE.

Witnesses J. P. WITHERS, E. E. RoAoH. 

